Pompeii and a day at sea

Wednesday – A day at sea. Finally, a chance to relax and regroup mentally. We slept in, ate a leisurely breakfast, attended the art auction (I was able to keep Norv from buying a $7000 Peter Max print), and bought silly drinks on the deck while stretched out in the sun. Yesterday, we actually swam and hot-tubbed – met a nice couple from Sydney. So we are getting quite familiar with the cruise culture, which of course, is like no other.
Yesterday was Naples, and reports of stinking garbage were grossly inaccurate. It was not any dirtier than any other large city. What the warnings should have been about were the crazy drivers, who don’t recognize pedestrians or crosswalks – or speed limits. We walked from the ship to the train station and (my opinion only, of course) risked our lives each time we had to cross the street. It was terrifying, and I was quite relieved to get to the train where we could relax for 45 minutes on the way to Pompeii. The train let us off right at the gates of Pompeii, and we spent several hours exploring the remains of that unfortunate city. Christopher was initially not all that impressed with the whole thing, and I think he was wondering why Norv (Boppa) and I and Greg kept stopping every 15 feet to take 2 or 3 pictures. I mean – it’s just a bunch of stones and fragments of walls, etc. But then he decided he wanted to see the anfiteatro – the colosseum – which was the farthest distance from the gate of all the structures. He brightened up quite a bit once the guys made the trek over there. I decided to enjoy the heat and humidity in my own way. We all enjoyed ourselves in Pompeii and were properly awed by the historical significance. I think we were also aware of the fuzzy outline of Mt. Vesuvius lurking in the sky nearby – eerie……….
The boys joined us for dinner last night and we all managed to use the right forks and spoons and enjoy the fantastic food. Christopher had cream of peach soup as an appetizer, which he raved about. Greg ordered my favorite dessert – chocolate melting pot. The four of us had a great time rehashing the events of the day, and then the guys went off to their respective “club” activities, and Norv and I took in some entertainment at a couple of clubs and then the large show of singers and dancers. A full and rewarding day.
I miss all of you and my cats – and the Sacramento news. Hope you are all well – that is, if anyone is actually reading this. Tomorrow – Dubrovnik. Can’t wait.